EFFORTS TO FIX THE HIRST WATER RIGHTS DECISION

On Monday, April 24, Governor Inslee called the 2017 Legislature into a 30-day Special Session to negotiate the 2017-2019 Operating Budget and to comply with the Supreme Court’s McCleary education funding decision. Washington REALTORS® recently launched an extensive media campaign opposing real estate tax increases. And while the budget and taxes will have top priority in the Special Session, we need you to ask your legislator for action on two important policy issues during the Special Session: fixing the Hirst water rights decision and addressing housing supply and homelessness funding.

Below is information for a REALTORS® Call to Action on SB 5239, which addresses the impacts of the Supreme Court’s Hirst water rights decision, and SB 5254, which improves the Growth Management Act’s Buildable Lands Review process and provides funding for low-income and homeless housing programs:

Update: Calls for Action have expired

Support SB 5239Fix the Hirst Water Supply Decision

Few, if any, legislators appear to support the Supreme Court’s Hirst decision – but the issue remains unresolved even as the homebuilding season begins. SB 5239 fixes the Hirst decision by clarifying that local governments and landowners can rely on existing Ecology rules, instead of having to exceed those state standards. Throughout Washington State, landowners have relied on Ecology’s rules to buy vacant land and should be able to rely on these rules.

SB 5239 (Fix Hirst) Updates

Broker Alert - On January 19, 2018, the Legislature passed SB 6091, which was immediately signed into law by Governor Inslee. This legislation reversed the State Supreme Court’s October 2016 Hirst & Futurewise v. Whatcom County water rights/Growth Management Act decision.

On Monday, April 24, Governor Inslee called the 2017 Legislature into a 30-day Special Session to negotiate the 2017-2019 Operating Budget and to comply with the Supreme Court’s McCleary education funding decision. Washington REALTORS® recently launched an extensive media campaign opposing real estate tax increases. And while the budget and taxes will have top priority in the Special Session, we need you to ask your legislator for action on two important policy issues during the Special Session: fixing the Hirst water rights decision and addressing housing supply and homelessness funding.

REALTORS®, we just launched a Call to Action! Support SB 5239 (Warnick/Takko) to help resolve chaos throughout Washington State concerning the availability of water from single household wells for new homes. This is a critical issue so please read more and take action here...